The Tool Desk
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How to choose a cover-up for the way you’ll wear it
Start with water exposure and the amount of coverage you want. A light, quick-drying synthetic blend is more practical for frequent dips than a fabric that holds water; a breezy natural-fiber or crochet layer can be more comfortable for lounging when you expect to stay mostly dry. Then consider fit, opacity, care, and whether you’ll wear the piece away from the pool.
| Use | Styles to consider | Trade-off to check |
|---|---|---|
| Quick changes or more coverage | Dress or tunic | A dress generally covers more than an oversized shirt or separate bottom; check length and opacity. |
| Lounging in warm weather | Linen or cotton shirt, crochet dress, or sarong | These can feel breezy, but cotton and linen may feel heavy when soaked, and crochet can be sheer. |
| Frequent swims | Nylon or polyester blend | These fabrics are recommended for faster drying; a cover-up is not automatically designed for swimming. |
| Travel packing | Button-up shirt, sarong, or versatile dress | Consider whether it can work as a top, skirt, or casual outfit beyond the beach. |
| Lunch or sightseeing | Dress, shirt, or beach pants | Check whether the fabric, coverage, and styling feel appropriate for the destination. |
These are practical style distinctions, not a ranking of product performance. The Travel + Leisure guide describes its editors’ overall testing process but does not establish that every listed product was tested under identical conditions.
Tested and recommended cover-up picks
Travel + Leisure’s 2026 guide names the products below among its top picks. Its editors say they tested more than a dozen styles over trips and considered comfort, style, packability, and function over months or years. Shop TODAY’s selections, by contrast, draw on stylist and swimsuit-brand-executive recommendations, user reviews, and shopping-editor favorites—not a uniform hands-on protocol for every item. Product details below are guide-reported and can change; check the linked guide or current retailer listing for live sizes, colors, and availability.
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For an easy one-piece layer
- CupShe Crochet Mini Dress: A short crochet option for readers who want a dress-style layer. Crochet may be more see-through than it looks in product photos, so consider what you’ll wear underneath.
- Rip Curl Cover Up Dress: A dress option in Travel + Leisure’s picks for readers who prefer a slip-on layer.
- Coolibar Women’s Catalina Beach Cover-up Dress: Its product name explicitly identifies UPF 50+. Confirm the current product listing and rating before relying on it for sun protection.
- Cupshe Short Sleeve Cut-Out Cover-Up Dress: Shop TODAY reports polyester construction, sizes XS–XL, and that it may run large. Those are guide-reported details, not independently verified current specifications.
- Dokotoo beach cover-up: Shop TODAY reports polyester construction, sizes XS–XXL, and that it may run large; check the current listing for the exact item and fit.
For a shirt-like layer or outfit transition
- Breezy Lane Button-down Beach Cover Up: A button-up can double as a top, making it useful when you want a piece to do more than cover swimwear.
- Seafolly Crinkle Twill Beach Shirt: A shirt-style option in Travel + Leisure’s picks.
- J.Crew Relaxed-Fit Beach Shirt: Shop TODAY describes it as a linen-cotton blend with an oversized fit and sizes XXS–3X. Check the live listing for current details and fit guidance.
- L.L.Bean Hooded Tunic Sand Beach Cover-Up: Shop TODAY identifies this item as UPF 50+ and says it may run small. Verify the current product information and fit before buying.
For separate bottoms or extra leg coverage
- Vitamin A Linen Wide Leg Pant: A wide-leg pant option for readers who want a beach layer that can be styled beyond swimwear.
- RoseSeek Drawstring Beach Pants: A drawstring style among Travel + Leisure’s picks.
For a one-piece alternative or adjustable wrap
- L*Space Threads Romper and Tempt Me Cover-up Romper: Rompers provide a one-piece alternative to a dress or separate shirt and pants.
- Peixoto Maxi Sarong and La Ceida Sarong Swimsuit Coverup: Sarongs wrap and tie around the body, allowing adjustable coverage.
Travel + Leisure also lists the CupShe Crochet Mini Dress, Rip Curl Cover Up Dress, Breezy Lane Button-down Beach Cover Up, Seafolly Crinkle Twill Beach Shirt, Vitamin A Linen Wide Leg Pant, RoseSeek Drawstring Beach Pants, L*Space Threads Romper, Tempt Me Cover-up Romper, Peixoto Maxi Sarong, and La Ceida Sarong Swimsuit Coverup among its picks. The guide identifies several as available at Amazon; retailer stock and product details are time-sensitive. See the full Travel + Leisure guide and Shop TODAY’s recommended cover-ups for the source lists.
Which cover-up style fits your needs?
Dresses and tunics
A dress or tunic is easy to pull on and can provide more coverage than an oversized top or a separate bottom. Check hem length, neckline, and fabric opacity, especially if you want to wear it away from the beach. A product’s appearance alone does not establish a sun-protection rating.
Rank #2
- Ideal for Gifting
- Ideal for a bookworm
- Compact for travelling
Shirts
A shirt offers adjustable coverage: wear it open over swimwear or buttoned as a top. Linen-cotton and other natural-fiber shirts can feel airy, but cotton and linen may feel heavy when wet. An oversized cut may affect how much coverage it gives and how it fits as an outfit layer.
Sarongs and wrap skirts
A sarong wraps and ties around the body, so you can adjust how it sits and how much of a swimsuit it shows. Carve Designs distinguishes a sarong from a kaftan: a kaftan is a loose garment with a neckline and typically wide sleeves. Because a sarong depends on its tie, make sure the wrap feels secure for your intended activity.
Pants and rompers
Beach pants provide a separate bottom and can be styled for a casual meal; rompers create a single-piece alternative. Consider how easy each is to put on and remove when changing, and whether its fabric suits the amount of water exposure you expect.
How fabric affects drying, comfort, and care
Travel + Leisure recommends nylon or polyester blends for active trips and frequent water exposure because they dry quickly. Linen, cotton, and crochet are better suited to relaxed beach or pool use when you value a breezier feel more than rapid drying. Cotton and linen can feel heavy when soaked, and open crochet may be quite sheer. Carve Designs’ guidance also discusses rayon, gauze, and lightweight blends as cover-up materials. See Carve Designs’ cover-up guide.
Rank #4
- For frequent dips: Favor a quick-drying fabric and check whether the garment is intended to get wet.
- For lounging: Choose for feel and airflow, while accounting for how the fabric behaves if it gets soaked.
- For a more opaque layer: Inspect the fabric notes and photos, and consider a dress or tunic rather than sheer mesh or crochet.
- For easier care: Read the garment’s care label before purchase. General care advice is not a substitute for the manufacturer’s instructions.
Travel + Leisure’s general care guidance is to rinse after saltwater or chlorine, use gentle detergent, and air-dry when possible. The care label takes precedence; Carve Designs notes that delicate crochet or embellished pieces may require hand washing.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.Do swimsuit cover-ups protect you from the sun?
Not necessarily. Coverage is not proof of a tested ultraviolet protection factor (UPF). If UV protection is a priority, look for a stated UPF rating on the specific product and confirm it in the current manufacturer or retailer details. Shop TODAY identifies the L.L.Bean Hooded Tunic Sand Beach Cover-Up as UPF 50+, while Travel + Leisure lists the Coolibar Women’s Catalina Beach Cover-up Dress, whose product name includes UPF 50+. Those are guide-reported product claims, not a guarantee that every cover-up—or every current listing—has that rating.
Best Value
- It can be a gift option
- Comes with secure packaging
- Helpful in various ways
Can you swim in a cover-up?
Some cover-ups may be worn into the water, but the term “cover-up” alone does not establish that a garment is designed for swimming, stays secure when wet, or dries quickly. For frequent dips, check the product’s fabric and intended use; quick-drying nylon or polyester blends are the more practical choices described by Travel + Leisure. A tied sarong, loose shirt, or delicate crochet layer may be better suited to lounging than active swimming.
Quick Recap
What to check before buying
- Coverage: Compare length, cut, and fabric opacity in product photos and descriptions.
- Fit: Use the size chart and read fit notes; guide-reported sizing observations may not apply to every body or current product version.
- Fabric: Match drying speed and feel to your expected water exposure.
- Versatility: Decide whether you can wear the piece as a shirt, casual dress, or separate bottom away from the beach.
- Sun protection: Look for an explicit UPF rating instead of inferring protection from how much skin the garment covers.
- Care: Check the product’s label or care instructions, especially for crochet, embellishments, and delicate fabrics.
- Current details: Confirm the exact product, price, available sizes, colors, and stock on the live listing because these can change.
Product prices and availability are accurate as of the date/time indicated and are subject to change. Any price and availability information displayed on Amazon at the time of purchase will apply.
